Process of making matrices.



J. E. HANRAHAN. PROCESS OF MAKING MATRICES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. s, 1913.

1,092,799. Patented Apr. 7, 1914 WWW JoimEfia/umim (31 a i A Z Z v n ILANOGRAPH C0 WASH NU'I'ON D C WTED STATER PATENT UFFIfiE.

JOHN E. HANRAHAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE AD-A'IYPEMATRIX COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF MAKING- MATRICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '7, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. HANRAHAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes of Making Matrices; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a process for producing matrices and has forits object to provide a method which will be more efficient,expeditious, and less expensive than those now in use.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel steps and combinationsof steps constituting my method as will be more fully hereinafterdisclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming apart of thisspecification in which like numerals designate like parts in all theviews :Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a holder or clamp forobtaining an impression in wood or other soft material of the letter orother object of which it is desired to make a matrix; Fig. 2, is aperspective view of a standard type letter such as is employed in Fig.1; Fig. 3, is a view partly in section of a clamp, the wood and typeface illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, as well as of a type face holder towhich the said type face is to be secured Fig. l, illustrates the typeface holder after the type face has been secured thereto; Fig. 5, showsthe type face holder associated with a matrix blank, held in a frame,and temporarily secured together; Fig. 6, illustrates the type faceholder and matrix blank to which is secured the type face before beingcovered with'wax; Fig. 7, is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 6;Fig. 8, is a plurality of type face holders, type faces and matrix-blankholders assembled ready for being covered with wax before receiving acoating of copper; Fig. 9, is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 ofFig. 8, after the parts have received their coating of wax; Fig. 10, isa sectlonal edge view of the completed matrix after being separated fromthe type face holder and Fig. 11 is a plan View of the parts shown mFig. 10. I

In carrying out my invention I provide any suitable clamping means suchas 1, and

secure thereto as by the screw 2, a block of wood or other soft material3. The block 3 1s accurately shaped to the exact face di1nen slons ofthe type face holder 4 to be described below, so that when the two arebrought together face to face, as in Fig. 3, the outer edges will beeven all around. I also suitably secure in the clamp 1, as by means ofthe screw 5, guide piece 6, and screw 9, a type body 7 having a typeface or other design of standarddimensions. The type face 8 is madeto'contact with the soft block 3 as'indicated, and the parts are sopositioned that an impression made in the soft block by the face 8 willbe located on said block in the precise position, relative to its edges,it is desired the said type face to occupy on the type face holder 4:relative to its edges, as will be clear from Fig. 41. Further, as willalso be clear from Fig. 4., if the axes of the type face or other designis not located exactly at right angles to the edges of the holder 4,then the letter as well as the matrix will appear turned or slanted andmake a bad appearance in print. Conse quently, in order to not onlylocate the face 8 correctly with respect to the edges of the block 3,but also to insure the axes of said face 8 being perpendicular to saidedges, I so design the members of the clamp 1 that when the type body 7is held as indicated in Fig. 1, the impression to be made in the block 3will be correctly located in all respects. The type body being slidinglyheld as indicated, a slight blow is imparted to its end and the face 8driven into the block 3 to form the cavity 19.. The body 7 is nowremoved secured in a vise or other clamping means, when the face 8 iscut from the body 7, as by sawing along the dotted line 10, Fig. 2. Theface 8 being thus severed from the body 7, its base is thinned down asby filing until it is a mere film, when it is reinserted into the cavity12 in the block 3, and the face of the holder a, having been coated witha thin film of an easily melted solder such as the well known alloy ofzinc and tin, the members 3 and 4: are brought together as indicated inFig. 8, with the base 11 of the type face next the solder coated surfaceof the holder 4. The impression 12 having been accurately located andorientated relative to the edges of the block 8, and the said blockbeing accurately of the same size as the holder 4, it is evident thatthe type face will now occupy a position on the holder 4 in all respectsthe same as it occupies on the block 3. The parts are now clampedtogether by any suitable means, such as the device 13, and heat appliedas by the flame 14, whereupon the type-face or other design 8 will besweated or soldered on to the said holder 4 and occupy some suchposition as that indicated in Fig. 4.

It is important to observe that the procedure just described enables meto locate and to orientate the type-face 8 with the highest degree ofaccuracy relative to the edges of the holder 4.

I next provide a matrix blank preferably having two holes 16 and 17 andhaving .precisely the same width as the holder 4 so itwill accuratelymatch the same as indi cated in Fig. 6. This matrix blank, together withthe holder 4 carrying the face 8, is next placed in the matrix blankholder 18, which they accurately fit, as indicated in Fig. 5, and theparts clamped together as by the screw 20. It will now be again observedthat since the type-face 8 was positioned with the utmost accuracy withrelation to the edges of the holder 4, and since these said edgesaccurately fit the edges of the matrix blank 15, and since the matrixblank holder 18 accurately fits both the members 4 and 15, that when theparts are clamped as indicated in Fig. 5, the type-face 8 must ofnecessity be positioned and orientated with the greatest accuracyrelative to the edges of the matrix blank 15. When in this position themembers 4 and 15 are temporarily firmly secured together, as by means ofa drop 21 of soft or other solder. By following the foregoing procedureanother character such as 22 may be secured on another holder 4, and thetwo characters and holders 4 may be secured to the same matrix blank 15as indicated in Fig. 7

After having thus secured one or more holders and type-faces to theblanks 15, I place them all together as indicated in Fig. 8 and coatthem over with wax 25, being careful to work the wax well down over thebeveled edges 26 of the holes 16 and 17 so as more efiectually toconcentrate the deposit of copper on the type faces 8. I regard this asimportant, for, of course, the copper will deposit most abundantly onthose condueting parts closest to the anode, and these faces 26 beingnearer the anode than the type faces 8 and 22, would, unless coveredwith wax, receive copper to the exclusion of said type-faces. The seriesof blanks 15 being thus properly coated with wax, with the type-faces 8and 22 exposed, the whole is suitably joined in an electrolytic bath anda coating 27 of copper deposited on and around said type-faces, thusforming accurate matrices of copper from said typefaces.

The matrices are next removed from the bath, stripped of their waxcoatings, separated from their holders 4 and typefaces, and the cavitieson their back faces, formerly occupied by the wax coatings, are filledwith type metal 28. This type metal is next smoothed off to make it evenwith the back surfaces of the matrices, and completed matrices result,having their characters or designs absolutely accurately reproduced fromthe original patterns, and absolutely accurately positioned andorientated with respect to the edges of said matrices, all as indicatedin Fig. 11. These said matrices are now ready for use in any suitablecasting machine and absolutely accurate type may be cast therefrom inall respects the equal of those cast from the most costly matrices nowemployed.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of theprocedure aswell as the order of the steps without departing from thespirit of my invention and therefore I do not wish to be limited to theabove disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

What I claim is r 1. In a process for producing matrices the combinationof steps which consists in providing a type face holder of the samewidth as the finished matrix; providing a member of soft material of thesame face dimensions as said holder; making an impression of thecharacter it is desired to reproduce in said soft material; and securingsaid character to said holder while held in said impression,substantially as described.

2. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin taking an impression of said type in a predetermined position inmaterial having predetermined face dimensions; transferring the faceportion of said type from said impression to a holder having the sameface dimensions and securing it in the same relative position on saidholder; and suitably preparing a matrix from the said face portion,substantially as described.

3. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin making an impression from the face portion of said type in a blockhaving the same width as the finished matrix; transferring said typeface from said impression to a holder having the same Width as saidblock and matrix; locating said type face on and securing it to saidholder in the same relative position it occupied in said block; andsuitably forming a matrix from the said face portion, substantially asdescribed. I r

4. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin making an impression from the face portion of said;

type in a block having the same width as the finished matrix; severingsaid face portion from said type and replacing it in said impression;transferring said type face from said impression to a holder having thesame .width as said block and matrix; locating said type face on andsecuring it to said holder in the same relative position it occupied insaid block; and suitably forming a matrix from the said face portion,substan tially as described.

5. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin making an impression from the face portion of said type in apredetermined position on a block of soft material having the same widthas the body of the finished matrix; severin' said face portion from thebody of said type and replacing it in said impression; transferring andsecuring said face portion to a similar predetermined position on aholder having the same width as said block and matrix; suitablyassociating said holder and face portion with a perforated matrix blank;and forming a matrix from the parts thus assembled, substantially asdescribed.

6. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin making an impression from the face portion of said type in apredetermined position on a block of soft material having the same widthas the body of the finished matrix; severing said face portion from thebody of said type and replacing it in said impression; transferring andsecuring said face portion to a similar predetermined position on aholder having the same width as said block and matrix; suitablyassociating said holder and face portion with a perforated matrix blank;coating said matrix blank with nonconducting material leaving said faceportion exposed and forming a matrix from the parts thus assembled,substantially as described.

7. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin making an impression from the face portion of said type in apredetermined position on a block of soft material having the same widthas the body of the finished matrix; severing said face portion from thebody of said type and replacing it in said impression; transferring andsecuring said face portion to a similar predetermined position 011 aholder having the same width as said block and fit matrix; suitablyassociating said holder and face portion with a perforated matrix blank;coating said matrix blank and a portion of the edges of its perforationwith wax leaving said face portion exposed; depositing metal on saidface portion; removing the wax; and filling in the cavities left by saidwax, substantially as described.

8. The process of producing matrices from standard type which consistsin providing a matrix blank, a type face holder, and a block of softmaterial all having the same width; making an impression of said type insaid block in a predetermined position relative to the edges of saidblock; severing the type face from said type body and reinserting itinto said impression; transferring said face port-ion to said holder andsecuring it to said holder in the same relative position it occupied onsaid block; temporarily securing said type face holder and type face tosaid matrix blank and causing said type face to occupy the same positionrelative to the edges of said blank it occupied on said block; andsuitably forming a matrix from said type face, substantially asdescribed.

9. The process of roducing matrices from standard type whic consists intaking an impression of said type; severing the face portion from thebody of said type, smoothing it OK and reinserting it in saidimpression; transferring said face portion to a holder and securing itin a predetermined position on said holder; temporarily soldering saidholder and type face to a matrix blank having a perforation with saidtype face occupying a predetermined position in said perforation;covering said blank and the edges of said perforation with wax; suitablydepositin copper 011 said type face; separating said ho der from thematrix thus formed; removing said wax; filling in the cavity around saidperforation occupied by said wax with metal; and smoothing off the saidmetal even with the body of said ma trix, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. HANRAHAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MOORE, J. E. KEMLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 1

